On March 31, the first KAI’s Talk Show was held by the KAIST Undergraduate Student Council, Blossom. Doctor Myung Ho Shin was invited to give the talk “Do You Study Only for Yourself?” The talk show encompassed a brief introduction, a one-hour lecture, followed by a question-and-answer session and a pizza party.

 

Doctor Shin introduced his lecture by briefly discussing the origins of science and technology. The history of the modern definition of science and technology dates back to only about 300 years, a fledgling area of human development compared to the longevity of our species thus far. The modern science and technology community pursues to create new knowledge. While its distribution of knowledge had been limited to a handful of guilds in the beginning, science and technology was appropriated in enhancing society’s manufacturing capabilities, especially during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Many government-owned research institutes and schools were built during this time.

 

Doctor Shin emphasized Korea’s unique situation because Korea is a country that experienced late industrialization, during the latter half of the 20th century. The downside was that only research that served public benefit was pursued. It was, and currently is, considered a social responsibility of a scientist or engineer to exclusively conduct research that contributes to our nation’s economic prosperity. Thus, a results-oriented atmosphere rendered researchers to choose risk averse projects - those that produce reasonable results within a short time span and monetary input.

 

While the Korean research and development model has performed admirably during Korea’s rapid development during the 1970s and 1980s, prospering social benefits of technology and economic growth, it has now become obsolete for a highly industrialized Korea. Doctor Shin called for reformations in the labor market of the science and technology community, stringent research ethics and accountability, and a revolutionized decision-making process employed by policymakers.